In The Serpents Snare
by TabithaMcGonagall
Summary: Draco, Hermione, Harry and Blaise board the Hogwart Express for an eighth year. Little do they know how much the strange girl who asks to sit in their compartment will change their lives completely. Packed with unlikely twist and turns, sit tight and wait for the drama to unfurl.
1. Chapter 1

I pushed open the door to the compartment. Five faces looked at me with surprise evident on their faces. They seemed to have been in deep conversation.

"Could I sit here? Everywhere else is full." I asked quietly, feeling a myself go a little red.

"Sure." A pretty girl with curly brown hair replied. She patted the seat next to her, closest to the door.

"Thanks." I sat after closing the compartment door.

"Why don't I know you?" She asked.

"I'm new." I replied nervously. The girl smiled at me but the other people looked at me with curious hesitation.

"Did you transfer from another school?" She asked cautiously. Her brown eyes shining from the light of the sun.

"No, I've never been to school before. I guess starting in fifth year will be tough." I mused quietly.

"Well, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ginny Weasley." She motioned to the red head sat behind her. "This is Harry Potter, Blaise Zambini and Draco Malfoy." She pointed out the three sat across from us starting with the black haired boy next to the window.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Iggy." I said in pleasant response.

A big orange cat leapt into Hermione's lap and hissed at me. I swallowed the hiss in my throat and leapt backwards, slamming my head against the wall.

"Jeez." I said rubbing my head and seeing stars.

"Settle down Crookshanks." Hermione cooed at the cat, petting it until it laid down on her lap.

"Are you okay?" Blaise asked leaning forwards.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I can leave. I didn't realise there was a cat in here." I said nervously trying to hide my big fluffy creamy white tail whilst getting up to leave.

"No, stay." The blond haired boy Draco touched my hand to get my attention.

"Um, okay." I said cautiously sitting back down. Crookshanks' ears were almost flat against his head. "I guess he might take a few minutes to decide I'm not a threat."

Hermione passed Crookshanks to Ginny in an effort to put distance between the two of us.

"So, are you fourteen Iggy?" Blaise asked, looking up from the book open in his lap.

"I don't know." I said awkwardly. I really didn't want fifty questions. Most of them I couldn't answer anyway. I supposed that all of the boys looked a lot older than me but maybe that's just because I was small.

"Harry, have you heard from Ronald?" Hermione interrupted, sensing my unease at the question.

"Not a word. Mr Weasley is staying at the joke shop to help Fred and Andromeda is staying at the Burrow. I think we'll hear from him soon." Harry consoled.

"How long does the train take?" I asked. I wasn't sure why I had to take the train at all but it had been insisted upon.

"Five more hours." Hermione replied.

I pulled my bag up onto my lap and curled my legs under me, leaning my sore head against the wall. Chatter started up in the compartment but I didn't hear a word. I zoned out, sleeping with one eye open.

I was only brought from my sleepy stupor when the three boys stood up and began changing into their robes. I turned to face Hermione and Crookshanks instantly crawled into my lap and began purring like a motor.

"I think he decided he likes you after all." Hermione smiled.

"It's a good job too, Crookshanks is one smart cat." Harry admitted begrudgingly whilst trying to pull a jumper over his head.

"I'll bet." I replied, skritching gently at Crookshanks ears. The girls quickly changed, facing away from the boys and I sat tight, feeling like the odd one out. I already had my school clothes on to avoid awkward questions. My head looked relatively normal if you could overlook the cat ears, in fact most of me looked fairly normal if you ignored the furry tail and ears. My paws were also very much paws, not hands.

"I wonder if you'll be sorted into a house?" Ginny asked.

"Cara told me about the houses. She said the headmistress told her they only sort first years." I answered. I didn't want to admit how worried I was to these strangers. Luckily before anyone could respond the train rumbled to a stop.

I pulled my bag onto my back and hurried out of the compartment and from the train. I'd purposefully picked a compartment next to a door because Cara had said to hurry off and meet her. I looked around frantically as people piled from the train before I spotted her at the end of the platform stood in the darkness. I shot between the students and even pushed between some until I reached her.

"Let's go." Cara said quietly and began walking.

"Aren't we riding the carriages?" I asked watching the older students head for them.

"No. You stay out in the cold that long your toes will be dropping off. You have to be extra careful Iggy. Come on." The sandy blonde haired woman replied. I followed her around the corner and she grabbed hold of my wrist tightly. In one stomach lurching step I was inside a warm room.

"Are we in the castle?" I asked, hoping the queasiness in my stomach would pass.

"Yep. They built a new tower. It's for eighth years, new staff and new students like you. " Cara said cheerfully.

"Like me? There isn't anyone like me." I retorted.

"Watch your tone." Cara said, walking over to her desk and moving things around.

"Fine." I looked around. "So this room is ours?" I asked.

"Technically you have a bed in the dorm. I don't think you sleeping there is a good idea though." I knew that meant I didn't really have a choice in the matter. "Are you hungry?"

"Someone said something about a feast." I commented.

"Hogwarts has a good reputation but I don't think you need parading in front of the whole school." Cara said snidely whilst pulling something from her bag.

"Your confidence in this place is overwhelming." I said, looking around. "A crib, you really expect me to sleep in a crib?"

"No, I don't expect you to sleep in it. I expect you to insist on sleeping in my bed and hog the whole duvet." She smiled.

"You have that right." I quipped.

"Here." Cara said, passing me a bottle of milk. "You need help?" She asked.

"Nope." I replied, sitting on the trunk at the end of her bed with the milk clutched in my paws.

"Did you eat on the train?" She questioned.

"I slept pretty much the whole way." I admitted. "Did you manage to do whatever it is you were supposed to be doing?" I asked.

"I had a long meeting with the headmistress." Cara admitted back, sitting on the end of the bed behind me.

"Let me guess. I'm not magical anymore, simply an experiment gone wrong." I said sarcastically and yet expecting her to agree.

"McGonagall has more optimism than the two of us. Since I'll be teaching defence against the dark arts though, it makes sense that you at least try the classes." Cara pondered.

"They can't ship me off to stay with another Auror?" I asked cautiously.

"Is that what you want?" She asked curiously. I took a second to think, Cara could be a pain in the butt but I was sure others could be way worse.

"No."

"Then shut up and drink your milk." She took the bottle from my paws and held it to my mouth. I drank deeply.

After dinking the milk, Cara agreed to show me the floors below us. We had the attic room of the tower with big skylights. Down one floor was the girls dorm room. We went inside. It was much like the room upstairs but housed two beds not one.

"So, one of these beds is for me?" I asked curiously looking around at the empty half of the room.

"You're supposed to be sharing with a student called Hermione Granger. She is the only girl returning for her eighth year here." Cara said quietly as she walked over to the desk. "I suppose you could still work in here if you wanted to."

"I met her on the train." I piped up quickly. "She has a cat." I thought. "How am I supposed to do any work? I can't even write."

"You know what? I don't know. I suppose you'll have to dictate your homework." Cara mused.

"I really don't know what that means." I commented. Cara looked up at me.

"Sometimes I forget." She said earnestly.

"That I'm not very smart?" I asked.

"No. That I've only had you for five weeks." Cara half smiled, walking over to me and touching the side of my face.

"If it's any consolation, it's felt like an eternity to me." I quipped. She laughed.

"I hope that's a good thing Iggy." She replied light heartedly.

"Of course." I mused. I wanted to reminisce a little but the door opened suddenly as I opened my mouth to speak.

"Oh sorry. I was just eager to see the new dorm room and I need some books from my trunk." Hermione stopped in her tracks though Crookshanks ran in and hopped up onto her bed, settling himself on the pillows.

"Nice to meet you Miss Granger." Cara initiated.

"Hi, erm, Professor?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Lee, Auror Cara Lee. Though I expect it'll be Professor Lee to students, I'll be teaching Defence against the dark arts." Cara responded confidently.

"Wow, well good luck." Hermione said nervously.

"I know about the posts unlucky run. The minister for magic decided an Auror would best suit the post, best chance of surviving the year and I fitted the bill the best." Cara assured her.

"Should we go back upstairs?" I asked Cara, feeling like she was saying too much.

"You're welcome to join us in the common room Iggy. Harry and Blaise are having a heated game of wizards chess." Hermione offered. I stayed silent. I wanted to go to join in and try to make friends but I wasn't sure that Cara would say yes.

"You can go if you want Iggy. I'll come check on you in a little while." Cara astounded me.

"Okay." I replied and followed Hermione out of the room, down two sets of stairs and into the big common room.

I quickly settled onto a sofa next to Hermione. Harry and Blaise played on the centre table and Draco sat on a sofa opposite drinking creamy coloured liquid from a glass tumbler.

"So Iggy, we never got to ask on the train. How come you have a tail?" Draco sneered.

"Rude much Malfoy." Hermione snarled at him.

"It's not exactly hard to work out, I'm part cat. But you know, if you stare at me a little harder you might notice that I have sharp claws as well as a tail." I retorted. Harry and Blaise laughed but Draco's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Ask him how his mummy and daddy are holding up in Azkaban, that'll shut him up." Blaise commented. Draco rose and swiftly headed up the stairs without a word.

"What happened to not being judgmental asses?" Hermione asked the boys.

"I never said a word." Harry replied aghast.

"I.. I may have taken it too far." Blaise said unsure.

"Go fix it. Both of you. I expect we should all be getting to bed soon really." Hermione said.

"But Hermione.." Harry started.

"You know as well as I do that Draco has gone through as much as any of us. He might be a complete and utter moron but that's no reason to upset him." Hermione delivered her argument convincingly, waving her arms around.

"Fine." Both the boys chimed and headed up the stairs.

"What's on your arm?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, erm, it's just a scar." Hermione said pulling her sleeve down over it. It looked like writing but I wasn't certain.

"So, are you all very good at magic?" I asked trying to change to a subject she may be less agitated by.

"We're all quite different but I suppose yes. Although with magic there is always a lot more to learn and everyone improves with practise. Have you done magic before? It must be difficult to hold a wand with paws." Hermione smiled to show that she didn't mean anything untoward by the comment.

"I can't hold a wand. I haven't really done any magic. Sometimes.. Sometimes I can break things without touching them. Cara said that counts but I'm not so sure." I said hesitantly.

"It's magical energy. When Harry turned eleven, he set a snake on his cousin Dudley at the zoo." Hermione told me in a reassuring manner.

"Didn't you do anything like that?" I asked curiously.

"No. Being muggle born I'm not sure I'd have recognised it if I had. I was very fast at learning though once I knew I was a witch. I'd always been very eager to learn." Hermione said.

"Cara has had me reading a lot of books to catch up. I told her they should just put me in first year but they won't." I replied.

"Well, I don't mind helping you a little if I can although I expect I'll have a very busy schedule this year. I've been asked to teach first year transfiguration." Hermione offered.

"It's okay, Cara said she'll help me to catch up." I reassured. Just then Cara's feet began walking down the stairs into the common room.

"I can feel my ears burning." She mused as she reached the bottom of the stairs wearing her blue pyjamas.

"Why would your ears be burning?" I asked.

"It's an expression. For when someone is talking about you." Cara replied.

"Huh." I puzzled.

"C'mon Munchkin, time for bed." She said motioning up the stairs. I got up and Hermione followed. When we reached the landing two floors up Hermione turned into the dorm room.

"Good night." Hermione said quietly.

"I never thought. Are you okay sleeping in there alone?" Cara asked Hermione. Hermione grimaced.

"I can't remember the last time I spent the night in a room alone. I might go sleep in with the boys, or I suppose I could go over to Gryffindor tower and sleep with Ginny." Hermione mused nervously.

"Why don't you change and then come upstairs. Iggy has a bed upstairs but chances are she's going to refuse to sleep in it." Cara offered. I smiled in agreement. There wasn't an ounce of chance I was sleeping alone without putting up a giant fight.

"If you're sure." Cara nodded. "Okay." Agreed Hermione.

Cara headed up the stairs and I followed. By the time I got through the door to our room the crib had already been turned into a bed for Hermione.

"Come over here quick. Let's get you changed before she comes up." Cara said. I hurried over and let her change me because it was much faster than me trying to help. My claws were great at snagging fabric.

"Cara, am I supposed to go to classes tomorrow?" I asked when she sat me on the bed by the pillows.

"Some. Are you nervous?" Cara asked. I was but I didn't want to admit it.

"Can't I just stay with you?" I asked hopefully. Hermione came in after knocking gently on the door. She got into bed and began reading a book she brought under the light of the lamp.

"Not all the time Iggy." Cara said quietly and she got into bed. She sat up against the pillows and started pulling me onto her lap.

"No." I wriggled, embarrassed that Hermione was in the room.

"Shh." Cara cooed and placed the milk bottle to my lips. I stubbornly wouldn't drink. "Two options. Drink your milk or throw a crying fit and end up drinking the milk anyway. Your choice." Tears formed in my eyes but I began drinking slowly from the bottle. Cara pulled me closer to her and I didn't fight it, not wanting to cause a scene. I looked over at Hermione. She was buried deep in her book. Cara turned my head back to face her and resume drinking the milk. When I finished Cara sat me up against her and rubbed my back soothingly. I was asleep in a matter of seconds.

I woke up to see Hermione quietly packing her back for the day, already dressed in her school robes. Cara was still asleep so I carefully untangled myself from her arm and hopped down from the bed and smacked my head on the floor.

"Argh. Crap. Not a cat." I yowled lying on the floor rubbing my head. Hermione rushed over.

"Are you okay?" I nodded and she helped me to my feet.

"What are you guys doing?" Cara rolled over to look at us with sleepy eyes. "Let me guess. You thought you were a cat?" She said sitting up.

"Does this happen a lot?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Not that often." I mused, feeling dizzy.

"By not that often Iggy means pretty much every morning. Which is why I try to get her to sleep in a crib, but she refuses. Of course." Cara said like it was all my fault.

"How would you like it if I told you that you had to sleep in a crib every night?" I asked sceptically.

"Which is why I don't force you to." Cara said lightly.

"I don't think I would do it." Hermione said quietly. I meowed in response. Hermione laughed. "In my second year there was an.." She looked at Cara. "An incident. I took polyjuice potion with cat hair in it by mistake. Polyjuice potion isn't meant for use with animals and I got stuck part cat for weeks and weeks. I could also meow perfectly. It was the only part I missed afterwards." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"That's kind of awesome. I think I used to be more cat, not less though." I mused.

"Sometimes I wonder if Crookshanks used to be a person." Hermione puzzled.

Cara slid down off the bed.

"Come 'ere Munchkin. Let's get you dressed and ready for the day." Cara pulled school robes from the bottom drawer next to her. I sat down in front of her.

"My wrist really hurts, I think I landed on it funny." I whined. She pulled off my pyjama top and examined my wrist. "Oww." I cried as she flexed it. She turned it back and forth and pressed gently.

"It's not broken." She said getting up and going through her trunk.

"You have a dark mark?" Hermione asked.

"You mean the stupid snake skull thing that always itches? Yes." I moaned.

"Hermione. She doesn't understand what it is, she didn't get it by choice." Cara piped up.

"Oh, sorry." Hermione said and quickly dashed from the room.

Cara returned to me with a bandage and pulled it onto my wrist.

"Try keep weight off of it. It's probably sprained." Cara said and finished changing me into school robes. I wished she would just fix it with magic but Cara told me often that things are better healed the old fashioned way. I wasn't sure that was a great saying because magic had been around for centuries. At least, that's what it said in the history of magic book.

"Do you know more about the dark mark than you told me?" I asked Cara curiously.

"Hm. I suppose if I don't tell you someone else here will. It's the mark of a very dark wizard. We always thought that only his closest followers were given the mark. You don't need to be afraid though, the wizard was killed weeks before I got you." She said and found clothes for herself.

"The.. The people you took me from. Some of them had the same thing." I commented. I still didn't really understand. Why would a bad wizard want to mark me?

"Yes and I killed them. Those people can't get you." She reassured me whilst pulling clothes on.

"I know, I saw it. And you know, you looked way more badass in the leather jacket and hoodie than you do in that awful suit." I teased. She went over to look in the mirror.

"You know what. You are so right. I don't know what I was thinking." She pulled off the suit and began pulling on other clothes from her trunk. Once dressed she began sorting out her bag and mine.

"Do you think Hermione won't like me anymore because I have the mark?" I asked Cara. I got up carefully and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I think she likes you exactly the same, it was just a surprise is all. Hermione fought in the war against the dark wizard. She killed people, the boys in the tower too. Though, I think the blond boy has a mark." Cara said fumbling around.

"Why isn't he dead?" I asked anxiously.

"He was just a scared, confused boy. Influenced by his family into joining the wrong side."

"Okay." I said nervously. He'd been the one to ask invasive questions.

"Iggy, he isn't going to hurt you." Cara reassured.

"That's good. I'm clumsy enough on my own." I tried to joke but my heart really wasn't in it. The blond boy, Draco. He was like the men who kept me in a cage and hurt me.

Cara sat down on the bed next to me and pulled me onto her lap.

"I promise you don't need to be scared." I drank deeply from the bottle in her hand and rested my head against her chest. It was a lot of information to process before I'd even had breakfast.

After insisting that I brush my tail (because it's super fluffy and the fur gets really knotty when I let it drag along the floor behind me), Cara finally decided that we should go down to the great hall. She needed breakfast and we both needed our schedules. Luckily it was still early and the hall wasn't too full, according to Cara anyway. To me it looked fuller than a room should ever be. Big long tables with students sat up and down and milling around eating. I didn;t think I'd ever seen so many people in one place. Cara led me right the way up to the staff table with her and she took a seat at the end.

"Should I go sit down there?" I looked nervously outwards.

"No, you can sit here until whoever needs the chair gets back." She motioned to the seat beside her and sat facing me as she ate. I really wanted to ask for some toast but I knew she'd say no. Last time I tried eating something solid I threw up for three days straight. It was awful. She finished up her toast and drank some juice. "Did you have enough milk? I'll find you at lunch time if you aren't already with me to make sure you get milk and a quick nap if you need one." She pulled me forwards onto her lap.

"Ah good. I wus just about ter ask yer if I could ave me seat back." A voice boomed. I covered my ears and looked away from the giant man. "Professor Rubeus Hagrid, Care of magical creatures. It's nice ter meet yer." I felt Cara shake his hand.

"Auror Cara Lee. Defence against the dark arts professor." Cara mused. "This is Iggy." She added whilst trying to get me to turn around. "Say hello Iggy, don't be rude."

"Hello." I said into Cara's jacket.

"I 'spect she's feeling a little shy." Hagrid said to Cara.

"First day nerves." Cara added.

"I do hope to see ye in me class Igge." Hagrid commented. I smiled at his mispronunciation of my name.

"I don't know if I take that class." I said to Cara, sitting back a little.

"I don't remember.." Cara started. "Professor McGonagall." Cara acknowledged the tall woman who stood behind me.

"Auror Lee." McGonagall replied in greeting. "And Miss Iggy I see." I turned around to face the woman, trying to put on a brave face. Cara rubbed my back gently as a reassuring presence.

"Hello." I said quietly.

"Timetables. Cara, I tried to keep you last periods as your free periods." She said handing over the timetable.

"Thank you professor." Cara replied.

"Iggy. A little unconventional but you'll take five classes and spend a morning in each per week. Monday, Care of magical creatures. Tuesday, Charms. Wednesday, Transfiguration. Thursday, potions and Friday you will spend the morning in Defence against the dark arts. Each morning should consist of a first year class with the exception of Care of magical creatures and higher level classes. This way you get a breadth of the curriculum. The Professor will walk with you back to the great hall at lunch time to meet with Cara. You'll spend the rest of the day with her. You're exempt from homework until a time in which you're caught up in each subject. It would also be beneficial to learn the history of magic in your own time." Professor McGonagall finished.

"O..Okay." I replied but tears started streaming down my cheeks and I wasn't sure how to stop them.

"A little overwhelmed?" McGonagall asked. I wasn't sure. Cara turned me back around to face her and hugged me close.

"Thank you for the timetables Professor." Cara replied. She stood up and carried me from the hall just before the tears started to get noisy.

By the time we reached the Defence against the dark arts classroom my noisy tears had turned to sniffles. The sofa in the office was quickly turned into a crib. Cara added pillows all the way around and blankets in the middle. I didn't fight when Cara placed me into the crib. Not even when she stood over me and rubbed my back gently until I fell asleep.

_Please review if you would like me to write more. Suggestions are welcome! R x_


	2. Chapter 2

"Iggy. How's your reading going?" Cara asked from the doorway to her office.

"Good but can I stop now? I think my brain is melting." I moaned.

"Sure. I just finished my last class of the day." She replied walking into the office and getting together her things. I closed my transfiguration book and placed it carefully into my bag.

"I'm sorry I didn't go to class, I don't know what came over me." I apologised, feeling guilty and embarrassed about my tearful episode.

"Maybe it's too soon for you to be going to classes. I should have let you just get used to being here first." Cara said uncertainly. I grimaced. I did want to go to classes to be like everyone else but I was also very nervous about it.

"How was your first day teaching? Besides having to keep checking on me." I asked trying to alter the subject slightly.

"It was good. It was great to see students getting enthusiastic. Really they're all just excited to attend the phoenix club." Cara smiled.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

"Well, before the war some students here set up a club to learn to fight. They did it secretly and got in a lot of trouble, even had the headmaster at the time arrested. The smart man escaped but, well that's sort of off point. Basically the eighth years are running a club to teach hands on battle techniques. From the most basic spells onwards." She picked up out bags.

"Why do they need it now if the war is over?" I questioned.

"Many reasons. The older students who fought in the battle lost friends and family and they need a distraction. The students who were younger felt powerless in the battle, learning these new skills and focusing their time and energy will help them recover from their experiences. First years are eager to learn too." Cara explained.

"Do you think I could go? Just to watch." I added carefully, expecting her to say no or somehow changing the subject.

"I knew you would say that." She smiled. "I talked to Harry and the head mistress. You can attend but I will be coming with you. And its watching only until you manage some basic magic, if you manage any at all."

"Seems fair I guess." I agreed. I couldn't really join in until I knew how to. "So when is it?" I asked.

"First and fifth years are tonight. One after the other. They can only teach one year at a time seeing as almost every student has signed up." Cara said amusedly.

"So we can go tonight?" I asked happily.

"Hopefully yes." Cara replied. I smiled. "C'mon, Milk and a long nap sounds like the perfect plan for you." My smile turned into a frown. "Or don't you want to go to the phoenix club?"

"Okay, you win." I sighed and followed her from the office.

We arrived at the great hall early, just as Hermione, Harry, Blaise and Draco we're moving the tables aside with magic. Ginny and girl with white blonde hair were also helping.

"Need any help?" Cara asked Hermione as she walked past.

"I think we're just about done setting up. The more space the better." She flicked her wand and a table rolled upside down on top of another.

Cara led me to the front of the hall and we sat down on the steps up to the staff table.

"Cara." I said quietly. She looked down at me.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Do you think I'll ever be able to do any magic? I really think I'm just the normal kind of mutant, not the magical kind." I sighed.

"You are not a mutant, you're special and all the better for it I might add." She wrapped her arms around me.

"What about the magic part though?" I asked worried, being able to do magic would surely make me fit in at Hogwarts better.

"I really don't know. Honestly I don't care either way. You're still just Iggy, magical or not." She said reassuringly.

"I guess we'll find out eventually. I wish there was a test." I murmured.

"Be glad they don't burn people at the stake anymore." Cara whispered as the first years began pouring into the room.

"That's not funny." I retorted.

"Comedy is subjective." Cara replied smiling.

"I really don't know what that means." I said leaning against her and pulling my tail over me for warmth.

"It looks like it's about to start. Listen and watch carefully. No matter what happens don't need to be scared, I'm right here." Cara stroked at my tail fur gently.

I looked out at the hall. Harry and Hermione stood at the front ready to address the students. Draco stood at the back by the door. Blaise stood at the left of the hall and Ginny and her friend at the right.

"Welcome to Phoenix club first years. The club is here to teach you how to defend yourself. School rules still apply, the things you learn here are only to be practised in this room during club hours and applied you your studies where necessary. Breaking school rules will lead to point dockage or detentions. Persistent rule breaking will lead to being banned from the club.

"I'm Harry Potter, this is Hermione Granger." He motioned to her. "To your left is Blaise Zambini and to your right are Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. We are all here to teach and help. Each of us fought in the battle at Hogwarts and have hands on experience with fighting dark forces.."

"Is it true you defeated Voldemort?" Interrupted a first year.

"With help." Harry answered. "I cou.."

"LIAR." Screamed Draco. He shot a spell at Harry over the heads of the first years. Harry's wand repelled the spell to the starry sky ceiling. I flinched and Cara's arms tightened around me. Harry shot a spell back.

"Expelliarmus! What did you call me? YOU FILTHY DEATH EATER!" Harry screamed back, moving forward, wand still raised in fury.

"Protego!" Draco shouted. Harry hit the floor. "The Dark Lord will never die! He resides amongst us right this minute. IN YOU" Draco walked towards Harry who was getting up from the floor. The first years parted to the sides of the hall, Hermione moving to stand by Blaise. "No pathetic half blood like you could destroy the greatest wizard of all time. Locomotor Mortis." A spell shot from his wand but Harry was faster. He dropped his wand and opened his palm, reflecting the spell back at Draco. He fell backwards, his legs glued together and his wand flew clear off to the side.

"Finito." Harry yelled, walking closer to Draco, they now stood in the centre of the hall. Draco got to his feet and looked around for his wand. "Sacred little boy, why don't you run home to mummy?" Draco's eyes glistened with furious tears.

"CRUCIO." He yelled. Harry fell to the floor and started screaming. First years fell further back, some of them gasping at the sight with terrified looks on their faces.

Suddenly Harry leapt to his feet.

"Well done mate." He said approaching and shaking hands with Draco.

"You ruined my moment." Draco said disheartedly.

"It's hard to make being tortured look convincing when it's not actually happening." Harry replied with a smile.

"Hard to believe these idiots thought I could pull off that spell with my wand on the other side of the room." Draco half smiled back. Harry addressed everyone.

"Until the very last spell, which we faked. Every spell we used you will now learn in first year. During the battle at Hogwarts I used those three spells and those alone. If used correctly basic spells can be stronger than complex spells." The first years looked a little taken aback by the experience but soon began clapping, realising that the whole thing was for show. "Auror Lee informed me that you all learnt today the theory and wand motion for the disarming spell 'expelliarmus.' Today we will practice on attack dummies." He finished. Suddenly bright blue dummies appeared all around the hall. Everyone moved to take position in front of the dummies and a quiet chatter of amazement broke out amongst the first years.

Harry went off into the hall to help with the others. All except Draco who made his way over to us.

"Well done Draco." Cara said in greeting.

"Thank you Auror Lee. I hope it was okay, we were trying not to terrify them." He said dubiously.

"Just about far enough I thought. You were quite convincing with the improvisation at the end." Cara smiled.

"I can't believe I let go of my wand. Harry's spell hit harder than when we practised." Draco sat down a few feet from us, rubbing a shoulder I assumed he landed on. "Are you okay Iggy?" He asked me curiously. I frowned at him disdainfully, since when did he care.

"I'm not scared of you." I hissed at the blond man.

"Draco, you're not just here to show off. Get over here." Blaise called.

Cara petted my head and ears. I frowned at her with a sulky face.

"Settle down little miss or I'll have to take you to bed early." She said in an attempt to soothe and warn at the same time.

"Fine." I sulked and curled up as she continued to pet me. After a few minutes I could hear myself purring. I sighed. Purring was not easily shut off once it began. I shut my eyes and decided that I couldn't purr if I was asleep. By the time I was almost asleep though, I could hear Harry calling the end of the session and telling the first years what a good job they had done.

"Good job all of you." Cara said to Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Blaise as they approached.

"It went better than I thought." Hermione responded, smiling.

"You made me nervous there with Draco." Ginny said to Harry. He pulled her into his arms.

"No need to worry. Draco isn't as good as me at wandless magic." Harry reassured and kissed the top of Ginny's head.

"I was impressed Harry. I knew you'd been practising but." Hermione started.

"Didn't realise quite how hard I'd been practising." Harry retorted with a smile on his face.

"Yes." Hermione answered. "Did you think it was useful to watch Iggy?" She asked me. I looked up and shrugged. I looked to Harry.

"I thought he was going to kill you."I said plainly.

"Draco couldn't hurt a fly if he tried." Harry smiled, Draco blushed.

"Of course he could, he's a death eater right? You said it yourself, he has the dark mark too." I persisted and noted that my purring had stopped.

"Don't get yourself worked up Iggy." Cara murmured and rubbed my back gently.

"I do have a dark mark Iggy. Most people don't know that they bound me to a table to do it. I caused such a mess from screaming and building magic that I broke a chandelier from the ceiling and it smashed on me. I got one of my arms free and knocked over one of the vials of ink. It spilled all over me and the table and got into the wounds from the chandelier on my torso. I'm covered in black scars. Actually, Harry used a spell that almost killed me not long after and it reduced the intensity of the scarring when I was healed. The only times I killed anyone I was under the imperious curse, even threats on my own life didn't persuade me enough to kill others. I couldn't do it." Draco admitted and eventually drew breath. Blaise placed a reassuring hand of Draco's shoulder.

"It's true, I've seen it. Draco's skin looks gnarly." Blaise commented and the other laughed light heartedly.

"What's the imperious curse?" I asked trying to absorb the new information.

"To be under the influence of the imperious curse is to be controlled, mind and body, by another. Draco told a jury at the ministry of magic under a truth serum everything that he recalled from his time as a death eater. He was cleared by the minister for magic for all crimes against his name." Hermione stated.

"So long as I abide by rules placed by the minister." Draco finished.

"We can get into that later, fifth years are arriving." Harry interrupted. The group went off to find their places.

"Did you bring any milk Cara?" I asked quietly. I rubbed at my eyes sleepily.

"Nope. You want to go to bed?" She asked. I thought a little reluctantly.

"Yes." I admitted.

I awoke in the middle of the night to find my head and ears being petted feverantly in an effort to wake me.

"C'mon Munchkin, wake up." Cara whispered.

"What's wrong?" I asked sleepily.

"I just got an owl, my sister is in St Mungos hospital. It doesn't look good. I have to go." Cara said seriously.

"Okay, do you have my bag?" I asked trying to wake myself up and get ready to go.

"You have to stay here Iggy." Cara insisted. "I should only be gone for a day."

"What?" I said, tears erupting from my eyes.

"Shh, shh. Hermione and the boys will look after you. It's going to be alright I promise." She cooed and picked me up from the bed into her arms. I clung to her tightly in disbelief that she was going without me.

"Blaise moved into Draco's bed, we can sleep in there." Hermione said quietly.

Cara followed her down two flights of stairs with me crying into her shoulder. Hermione climbed into Blaises empty bed and Cara laid me down next to her.

"Get off to sleep and I'll be back before you know it." Cara said and quickly left. I couldn't believe she'd left me.

"Shh Iggy. It's okay." Hermione said and pulled the blankets up closer. I hadn't realised I was crying noisily.

I watched Harry walk over from his bed and around behind me. I felt bad that he was awake.

"Lay on your stomach." He whispered quietly. Hermione helped me turn over. Harry's hand rubbed my back soothingly as Cara often did. Soon I was fast asleep.

In the morning I shook off the feeling that I were a cat and stayed quiet, even when Hermione went upstairs to get my clothes and books. Even when Hermione got me changed with the boys in the room. She even got dressed herself while they were packing their bags for the day.

"Blaise you're the most ready. Can you feed Iggy whilst I finish getting ready?" Hermione asked holding a bottle of milk.

"Okay. How do I do it?" He asked willingly as he walked over to us.

"Just hold it up enough that she doesn't swallow air instead of milk." Hermione explained.

"I'll try my best." Blaise said. He took the milk from her and sat on the bed. "Okay Iggy. We can do this." He encouraged as he pulled me onto his lap. I sat up away from him but drank from the bottle he held none the less. I'd been tempted to refuse but the idea of feeling unwell as well as Cara being away was just too much for me to deal with.

"Why don't we all eat in the common room to save time?" Harry suggested.

"Okay." Chimed Hermione and Blaise.

"I'll help set things out." Draco said, shouldering his bag and heading out the door followed by Harry.

I quickly finished up and followed Hermione and Blaise downstairs. The group ate quickly and I suddenly realised I wasn't sure where I was supposed to be. Hermione noticed my worried expression.

"Am I supposed to go to potions class?" I asked hoping that was the right class for the right day.

"The four of us will be covering defence against the dark arts classes today, you can spend the day in the office reading like you did yesterday."

"Okay." I replied unsure.

"I'm covering the seventh year class first thing. It should be interesting seeing as I've never done seventh year defence." Draco piped up.

"We have everything worked out so you don't need to worry about being alone Iggy." Hermione said reassuringly. She didn't seem to understand that I was more scared of Draco than I was of being alone. "I'd walk with you both but I'm running late for my arithmancy class."

She disappeared out the door and soon I was walking with Draco in silence to the defence against the dark arts classroom. I wished Cara were the one walking with me. Draco carried my bag as well as his and I realised that we really were running late when we walked into the classroom to find a group of students sat waiting. Most of them had books open and were trying to complete their summer reading.

"Okay, Auror Lee is unable to attend today's class and I've been asked to step in as professor." Draco said loudly. I heard a few laughs.

"You haven't even completed this class yourself Malfoy." Ginny said from across the room.

"I may not be as advanced as any of you but I can guarantee I've had more experience with the dark arts than all of you put together." Draco said clearly with confidence.

"Got that right death eater." Someone muttered from nearby Ginny. Draco walked to the front desk and I followed awkwardly.

"Today I'm to teach you about Leginimancy and Occlumency." Draco informed them. "Turn to chapter twenty three of your books."

"You know this section is supposed to be taught by a trained professional." A boy from the back piped up.

"I'm one of the few people to ever be able to successfully use both Leginimancy and Occlumency against the dark lord himself. I can assure you that my understanding of both practises are far beyond any of a trained professional." The room turned to complete silence. "Take five minutes to read the text book definitions and discuss in pairs the most efficient ways to resist Leginimancy." Draco motioned for me to follow him up to the office.

I sat down at the side of the desk and took my bag from Draco, dumping the books in front of me.

"Do you know which you're supposed to be reading?" He asked.

"Stupid stinking potions." I murmured quietly.

"Potions has a lot of advantages, as a subject." He said uncertainly.

"I have paws. I can barely manage to turn book pages let alone chop ingredients." I spat.

"Well, how about reading your defence book?" Draco suggested. I didn't reply, I just took the book and flung it open angrily. "I need to go set some more tasks, I'll come back to check on you shortly." He lingered a moment before heading down the stairs into the classroom.

I stuck my claw between the pages and hoped for the best. Animagus. Huh. I read the information, getting madder and madder that people chose to put themselves through the transitions between human and animal. I was stuck as a half cat. I couldn't even look after myself on my own. I couldn't even turn one single page on my own. I struggled to pick up just one page with my claw. I hissed with rage and shoved the book from the desk. I was mad that the book wouldn't just turn one page. How could a book about magic not do that for itself? I threw myself onto the floor to try get the book to turn just one page but I hit my arm on the corner of the desk and ended up in a crying mess on the floor.

"What.. What happened Iggy?" Draco said rushing over. I quickly tried to wipe away my tears in embarrassment. I only ended up crying more as the tears rolled down my hand and into the bandage on my wrist. Draco picked me up from the floor and sat me on his lap. I wanted to fight to get off but I felt completely weak. He held onto my arm, carefully slid off the bandage and examined the cut on my wrist. "Looks quite nasty. I'll see if Ginny will take you to the matron." Draco decided.

"It's fine." I whined tearfully. Draco stood up and placed me into the crib which was still against the far wall of the office.

"I at least want Ginny's opinion." Draco insisted. He walked out from the office and back in again moments later, followed by Ginny.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked as she came over to me. I held up my bleeding, painful wrist. As if spraining it the previous morning hadn't been enough.

"I think she fell off the chair." Draco said unsure.

"It hurts." I whined unhappily. "I want Cara." I cried.

"I take you to the matron. She'll have you patched up in no time." Ginny replied, picking me up from the crib. I buried my face in her shoulder for the whole journey to the hospital wing.

"I wondered when I'd be seeing you here Iggy." Welcomed the matron. I looked at her in greeting, wishing my face weren't red and blotchy with tears. Cara would have said I was being rude if I hadn't and she were there.

"I'm clumsy." I admitted and stuck my arm out for her to see.

"I'll have you fixed up in no time. Miss Weasley if you'll just settle Iggy on this bed here. That's right." Ginny sat me on the bed where I crossed my legs and let my arm sit on my knee. The matron scuffled around with things on a trolley.

"She fell from a chair." Ginny informed the matron. The matron began applying salve to the cut.

"Ow." I whined as the cold salve stung.

"It'll stop hurting in a few seconds Iggy. I just have to get it all covered." She worked the salve in methodically. "It looks like you've been scratching at that mark too. I could put you some salve on there too." She indicated to the dark mark just above the cut.

"O.. Okay." I said tearfully.

She gently rubbed in the salve and she was right, it had stopped hurting. The tears hadn't quite managed to stop yet though. The matron wrapped a bandage around my arm and wrist, carefully avoiding getting the fur on my paw stuck in the salve.

"Have someone take off the bandage tomorrow morning. It should be just like new. Otherwise come back to see me." Said the matron kindly.

"Thank you." I replied, wiping at my eyes.

"Yes, thank you Madam Pomfrey." Ginny followed up.

She picked me back up from the bed and carried me back to the Defence against the dark arts classroom.

Ginny placed me down in the crib seemingly unsure of where to put me. I stayed quiet. I wasn't really sure what I wanted. Besides for Cara to be back. Ginny went back out of the office, leaving me alone in the crib. I carefully moved around the pillows and snuggled myself under the blankets. Maybe some sleep would be nice.

"Iggy. You need to wake up." Draco tried to gently shake me awake.

"No." I said sleepily and tried to turn over to get back to sleep. He was persistent and eventually I gave in and sat up.

"I ended up teaching all morning. Hermione's ancient runes professor wouldn't let her have the class off to teach." Draco informed me. I rubbed at my bandaged arm. He rummaged around and pulled a bottle of milk from my bag. "I knew she told me she'd put it somewhere. You must be hungry." He finished and came over to pick me up from the crib.

"Get off me." I whined and tried to wriggle away. He managed to grasp me at the waist and I knew I couldn't wriggle free now. I sunk my teeth into his arm in indignation. He dropped me back in the crib and clutched at his arm. I hadn't drawn blood. Well, not much.

"What on earth is wrong with you? You'd better not have rabies!" Draco said furiously. Eventually he sat down and took a few deep breaths. I wiped the blood from my mouth. "I know you hate me because I was a death eater but I don't get it. I've been more open with you about my situation that I have with most people." Harry walked into the room but stood by the door.

"You were there." I said clearly.

"I was where?" Draco asked looking puzzled.

"The only place I remember before here. You were with the man who didn't have a nose." I said. I hadn't realised it on the train but my memories had slowly been becoming clearer. I began to see through the haze of pain.

"Any time I left the manor with the dark lord I was under the imperious curse. He didn't trust me to follow orders." Draco admitted truthfully.

"I don't care if you remember it or not. I do. You made fun of me and hit me with a spell like the one you pretended to hit Harry with. You laughed when I screamed. You even laughed when the man hit you to make you stop and told you that he needed me alive." I yelled adamantly. "You were worse than he was."

Draco blanched for a moment then grabbed his bag and stormed past Harry from the room.

A few moments passed in silence.

"Do you believe him?" I asked Harry who had moved to sit in the desk chair.

"I do believe that he was under the imperious curse. Though it doesn't entirely excuse what he did. Draco has never been a good person. He's selfish and arrogant but I can't help but think had he grown up with different parents that he would have been a completely different person. I attended his hearing at the ministry. Under truth serum he told the ministry how much he wanted to change." Harry said struggling to think of anything else to add.

"Do you think I'm wrong to be mad about it?" I asked him. I wasn't sure how much I valued his opinion but he did seem to be an honest person.

"You have a right to feel any way you do. It can take a long time to forgive people for the things they've done." Harry said as though he had a lot of experience with similar feelings.

"How come you and Draco don't hate each other now?" I said curiously.

"When Draco's trail was over. He sat in the chair in the centre of the court room, a free man. Despite everything I'd heard, when I realised there was no one coming for him I thought to myself. This is what he deserves. His parents had been taken to Azkaban. His one surviving friend had been taken there too. Draco was free but he had no one. Not a single person who cared about him. Somehow, lost in the memories of all the times I felt hatred for him I realised that I didn't hate him anymore. I felt sorry for him and that if I had lived in his shoes what's to say I would have turned out any differently. So I took him home with me and told him he was welcome to stay until the school year began." Harry said quietly, not noticing the arrival of Hermione and Ginny in the doorway where he earlier stood.

"He didn't hate you for pitying him?" I asked.

"If he did, he didn't let on. Since the hearing he's been trying hard to be a better person. It's going to take a lot longer than a few months to change as a person though. Everything takes time." Harry answered, noticing Ginny and Hermione.

"Draco didn't tell us what happened." Hermione said as Ginny went to sit with Harry.

"I bit him." I said. Hermione frowned at me. "He might need a rabies shot." I half grinned.

_Thanks for reading! Review if you want me to write more... Will Cara come back? Will everyone die in a fiery blaze? Lol, JK..! I think I might go back to writing some more of The Malfoy Family story! Rx_


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